Blade holder



May 30, 1944. cc s 2,350,121

l BLADE HOLDER Filed May 1, 1942 v Q 'INVENTOR. E? B (5 6 RM BMQ 'X BY C aw mm AZTOJPNES Patented May 30, 1944 UNITED S ATE-is PATEN "rv oFF cE BLADE HOLDER Perry A; McCaskey, Minerva, Ohio Application May 1, 1942, Serial No. 441,312

8 Claims.

My invention relates to an. implement or device for holding safety razor. blades While stropping them.

The advantages andeconomies attendingjthe practice of sharpening safety razor blades are becoming more appreciated as: the practice increases, and this practice recently has been-given impetus by the necessity of conserving steel. The advantages'of stropping old blades, and frequently new ones, are keenness and smoothness of edge which insure'ease', speedand'comfort in shaving. Furthermore, the life of a blade is greatly pro-- longed by stropping, a' single blade affording months of satisfactory service.

On the side of economy is not only the conservation of metal effected by the saving of blades, but the construction of my improvedholderenablesit to be madein part, or entirely, of" plastic or other non-metallic material, thus effecting a further saving of metal.

Among the objects of the invention areto'provide a razor blade holder that is-simple of construction and accordingly inexpensiveof manufacture; to'provide a device of this class that; notwithstanding its simplicity and cheapn'ess; is strong and durable, and very neat and attractive of appearance, the nature of the construction permitting the use of plastic material orthe like; in pleasing colors, or color combinations; to provide a razor blade holder that is easily kept clean and sanitary because of. the character of itsconstruction and the material from which it-may be made; and to. provide an eflicient razorbladaholderthat is especially convenient of use in that its construction and mode of operation greatly. facilitates the insertion and removal of a blade, and. its size. shape, and lightness of weight make the handling of it comfortable and easy andthe strapping of the blade aquick and eifective operation.

Another object of my invention is to income.- rate in a device for holding safety razor blades while stropping them, means for administering. a strop treatment or abrasive substance to the strop during the strapping operation, and which will effect a proper application of thetreatment or substance to the strop.

The foregoing, objects and advantages, with others hereinafter appearing, areattained in the embodiments of the invention illustrated ,in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. :1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention, showing it holding a blade in readiness for stropping; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the holder held in a hand with the plunger projected for the-application of a blade thereto,-and indicating the. manner of presenting. the blade tothe plunger; Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section through the blade holder but showing the plunger in elevation; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal sections throughtwo modifications of the invention, the former showing the plunger projected as for the applicationor removal of a blade, and the latter withthe; plunger retractedin thepositionit occupies whena blade is held by the device in readinessfor stroppingand Fig. 7.is adiagrammatic representation of the holder in end elevation with a blade, therein, indicatingits relation to. a strop in'a strapping operationfthe present view being on a. larger scale than th former views.

In all views-of the drawing the holder is designated generally by thereference characterA, and in Figs. 1, 2 and 7 a safety razorblade of standardsize and shape, is shown at B. Astrop or the like is indicated'in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 7, where it is designated C.

According to the form of theinvention illustratedin Figs. 1 to 4, the holder comprises a cylindrical barrel. I, which may be made of any suitable material, desirably plastic. The barrel is provided with substantially diametrically opposed longitudinally extending, slits 2 that open through one end, of the barrel, the slits, at their open ends, being desirably slightly flared, asindicated' at '3. A slot'5 extends longitudinally of the barrel in spaced relation to the transverse'plane of the closed ends of' the slits 2 and extends to within a shortdistance of the opposite end of the barrel, said slot being within what may be considered the'grip or handle portion of the device. The-plane of the slot 5 is preferably perpendicularto that of the'slits 2'.

Slidable within the barrel I is a plunger I0, made of plastic or other suitable material, the same being shown as cylindrical throughout the greater part of itslength and-of slightlyless diameter than the internal diameter of thebarrel. The plunger and barrel are shown as of substantially the same length. For a-dist'ance inwardly from. one end, equal approximately to the length of asafety razor blade, the plunger is made semicylindrical; The end portion of the plunger may be givenithisxformin any desired manner, as by cutting or grinding, and, soformed, it has a flat face H that isadapted to lie in the plane of the adjacent sides of the slits 2-,so that when the plunger is projected, as shown in Fig. 2, and a blade: B applied thereto and the plunger retracted, theblade will'bear on said'flat face H andextend out through the slits with its edges in position for. stropping in the manner indicated inFig. 7. For holding the blad in position onthe plunger, the latter is provided with means for engagement within standard openings in the blade, as, for example, lugs or studs I 2 that project through the openings b of the blade. To hold the inner end of the blade snugly against the fiat face H, the shoulder l3 between the face H and the adjacent cylindrical portion of the plunger may be undercut, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Suitably connected to the plunger H), as by having its 'inner end secured in a slot of the plunger, is a finger piece l5 that projects out through the slot 5 a short distanc beyond the outer surface of the barrel I, and by engaging the thumb with the finger piece I5 the plunger may be reciprocated within the barrel, as for the purpose of projecting the end of the plunger fromthe barrel, as shown in Fig. 2, for the ap lication of a blade to the plunger and the subsequent retraction of the plunger to move the blade into the slits 2. The finger piece serves not only as a means for projecting and retracting the blade carrying end of the plunger, but to limit the relative longitudinal movement between the plunger and barrel by its engagement with the ends of the slots 5, and to prevent relative rotation between the said elements.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5, the barrel is provided with slits H, which may be flared at their open ends, as in the previously described form, and operating within the barrel is a plunger 25, formed at one end to provide a flat blade receiving face 26, having studs 21 projecting therefrom, while the opposite end of the plunger is equipped with a head 28 for engagement with thetadjacent end of the barrel to limit the distance the blade carrying part of the plunger may be projected beyond the opposite end of the'barrel. For the two-fold purpose of preventing the plunger from rotating within the barrel and of limiting the retraction of the plunger, a relatively small pin or the like 29 may be extended through the plunger slightly beyond the inner end of the blade engaging face 26, with one'or bothof its ends" projecting into one or both of the slits? l In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, the barrel 3!! may be identical with that of the form shown in Fig. 5, the blade receiving slits of the present barrel being designated 3 I. A plunger 32 is slidable in the barrel and to prevent accidental dislodgment of the plunger from the barrel the former is made to bear with conside rable friction against the inner surface of the barrel by slitting the plunger longitudinally at 33 and spreading the'parts on opposite sides of the slit for firm contact with the barrel. The plunger is made slighly longer than the barrel, and its normal condition withinthe barrel is as shown in the drawing. The end of the plunger adjacent the slitted end of the barrel is formed to provide a flat blade engaging face 35, the same being provided with studs 36.

When it is desiredto use the form of themveritionat present under consideration, the extending end of the plunger is pushed inwardly to project the blade carrying portion ofthe plunger beyond the slitted end of the barrel when the plunger may be grasped and withdrawn to the extent necessary to apply a blade to the fiat :face 35 with the studs 36 projecting through the openings b in the blade. After the blade is applied'to the plunger, theplunger is rotated, if necessary, to dispose the blade in the plane of the ment of the plunger is stopped by the engagement of the inner end of the blade with the closed ends of the slits 3|. As in the former cases, the open ends of the slits may be flared, this being so obvious that specific illustration, in connection with the forms of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, is deemed unnecessary.

A feature applicable to all forms of the invention and illustrated in connection with the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is the incorporation in the implement of means for applying a strop treating or abrasive substance to a strop. Applied to the barrel I within the zone of the blade receiving slits 2 is a strop treatment or abrasive substance, indicated by stippling at a in Figs. 1 and "-2."'This may be accomplished by dipping the barrel into the substance while the latter is soft or in a molten condition, thereafter allowing it to solidify; or the substance may be blasted upon the barrel; or the barrel may be roughened and a deposit of the substance occasionally applied to the roughened portion of the barrel by rubbing it thereover. This substance may occupy either or both sides of the barrel, and. as the barrel is drawn across the strop in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7, a very thin deposit of the substance is spread over the strop.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A blade holder comprising a cylindrical tubular barrel having substantially diametrically opposed slits opening'through one of its ends, a cylindrical plunger of a length at least not substantially less than that of the barrel slidable in the barrel and provided with blade attaching means accessible for the application of a blade thereto when the portion of the plunger incorporating said means is projected beyond the slitted end of the barrel, the remaining portion of the plunger maintaining connection with the barrel, the blade being adapted to be moved into the slits by the retraction of the plunger, and means constantly restraining the plunger from dislodgment from the barrel. ,2. A blade holder comprising a cylindrical tubular barrel having substantially diametrically opposed slits that open through One of its ends, a cylindrical plunger of a length at least not substantially less than that of the barrel slidable in the barrel and provided with blade attaching means accessible for the application of a blade thereto when the plunger is projected a fraction of its length beyond the slitted end of the barrel, the blade being adapted to be moved into the slits by the retraction of the plunger, and parts on the barrel and pl'unger, respectively, that cooperate to prevent relative rotation between the barreland plunger and to limit relative longitudinal movement therebetween.

3. .A blade holder comprising a barrel having substantially diametrically opposed slits that open through one of its ends, and a plunger slidable in the barrel and provided with blade attaching means accessible for the application of a blade move the blade into saidslits. The inward movethereto when the plunger is projected beyond the slitted end of the barrel, the blade being adapted to be moved into the slits by the retraction of the plunger, the plunger having a head onits end remote from the blade attaching means for engagement with the adjacent end of the barrel, and means extending laterally from the plunger intoone-or both of the aforesaid slits. l

4. A'blade holder comprising a barrel having a slit in its wall that opens through one of-its ends, and'a plunger slidable in the barrel and provided with blade attaching means accessible for the application of a blade thereto when the plunger is projected beyond the slitted end of the barrel, the blade being adapted to be moved into the slit by the retraction of the plunger, the plunger being laterally offset intermediate its ends for frictional engagement with the inner surface of the barrel.

5. A blade holder comprising a barrel having substantially diametrically opposed slits that open through one of its ends, and a plunger slidable in the barrel and provided with blade attaching means accessible for the application of a blade thereto when the plunger is projected beyond the slitted end of the barrel, the blade being adapted to be moved into the slits by the retraction of the plunger, the plunger being slit longitudinally intermediate its ends and the portions thereof on opposite sides of the slit being spread apart for frictional engagement with the inner surface of the barrel 6. A blade holder comprising a barrel of uniform cross section from end to end having a cylindrical bore and provided with substantially diametrically opposed slits that extend longitudinally of and open through one end of the barrel,-

the length of said slits thereby to provide a flat face adapted to lie in substantially the plane of i said slits and to which a safety razor blade may be applied, and means extending from said face for engagement within an opening of the blade. 7. A blade holder comprising a barrel having a cylindrical bore and provided with substantial- 5 ly diametrically opposed slits that extend longi tudinally of and open through one end of the barrel, and a cylindrical plunger slidable in the barrel, the end thereof adjacent the slitted end of the barrel being semi-cylindrical thereby'to providea flat face adapted to lie in substantially the plane of said slits and to which a safety razor blade may be applied, and means extending from said face for engagement within an opening in the blade, there being a shoulder between the inner end of said face and the adjacent cylindrical portion of the plunger that is undercut to receive the end of a blade applied to the aforesaid face.

8. A blade holder comprising a tubular barrel of substantially uniform cross sectional size and shape from end to end, the same having a slit extending longitudinally thereof from one end a distance approximately the length of a standard safety razor blade, a plunger of cross sectional size and shape to slidably fit within the barrel and of a length at least not substantially less than the length of the barrel, said plunger being provided with a fiat blade receiving face adapted to be disposed in the plane of said slit and to be exposed beyond the end of the barrel for the application of a blade thereto by the projection of the plunger beyond the slitted end of the barrel, and means for positioning the blade on said face.

PERRY A. McCASKEY. 

